SIR,

The former Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Monmouth seems to think that my call for the police to be able to use greater force against rioters puts me at odds with Sir Hugh Orde, head of the Association of Chief Police Officers.

Sir Hugh's recent comments were made in response to calls to use the army to get the riots under control.

My own belief is the police are more than capable of dealing with riots themselves.

The problem is that afterwards they invariably get criticised by lawyers like Mr Sandison and, more worryingly, by elected MPs.

Mr Sandison also took the opportunity to attack the police for using Tasers to overpower violent people.

For various reasons these would be impractical in riots and I had not suggested this.

However, to deal with the point, it is true there have been a handful of tragic incidents where people died after being shot by a Taser stun gun.

That said, other issues such as drug use have generally been involved.

I can tell Mr Sandison from personal experience that it is very difficult to overpower violent people and I believe the Labour Home Secretary, Jacquie Smith, was right to recognise this and allow a greater use of Tasers.

In Northern Ireland they were approved for use by none other than Sir Hugh Orde, of whom Mr Sandison speaks so highly.

David Davies MP

(Member for Monmouth)